What makes a useful journal entry
Start with the account, market, contract, direction, quantity, entry and exit time, result and costs. Add the setup, planned risk and a short decision rationale. Chart evidence should show what was visible before entry. Keep later commentary identifiable as retrospective.
Turn a trade into a review question
One losing trade does not establish that a setup is poor. Ask, for example, how planned and late entries differ within the same session. Use complete sequences and keep accounts, fees and position sizes comparable. Results without sample context are easy to misread.
PRAETIR connects these records with analytics and SENTINEL review. An AI summary remains constrained by the underlying data. A fluent answer does not automatically supply missing rules or unrecorded costs.
Start with a complete small sample
The on-page example contains eight synthetic trades. First reconcile USD 150 in gross results and USD 40 in total costs. Then compare the USD 110 net balance with the metric pages. Use the same reconciliation routine for your own data without treating eight trades as proof of a reliable strategy.
A reproducible example
| Measure | Before costs | After costs |
|---|---|---|
| Sum of winning trades (USD) | 550.00 | 530.00 |
| Absolute sum of losing trades (USD) | 400.00 | 420.00 |
| Balance: wins minus losses (USD) | 150.00 | 110.00 |
| Profit Factor | 1.375 | 1.262 |
USD 550 in wins − USD 400 in losses = USD 150 balance before costs. After 8 × USD 5 in costs, USD 110 remains. Net profit factor first deducts costs from each trade: 530 / 420 ≈ 1.262.
- Balance before costs
- 150.00 USD
- Total costs
- 40.00 USD
- Balance after costs
- 110.00 USD
- Profit factor after costs
- 1.26
- Expectancy per trade
- 13.75 USD
- Max. drawdown
- 175.00 USD
Frequently asked questions
Do the calculators require an account?
No. The public calculators and on-page example are freely accessible. The personal journal workspace belongs to the relevant product access.